菜根谭 On Vegetable Roots (79)

菜根谭 79

地之秽者多生物，水之清者常无鱼；故君子当存含垢纳污之量，不可持好洁独行之操。

译文
污秽的地方生物众多，清澈的水中常常没有鱼。所以君子应该有容纳尘俗的度量，不能洁身自好，孤芳自赏。


Where it is filthy, there exist abundant living things,
where the water is clear, usually there are no fish.
Therefore, a great man, instead of preserving his own
purity, should be magnanimous and tolerate this world.